New skin clinics to cut waiting times

PUBLISHED: 00:08 07 June 2003 | UPDATED: 13:59 03 March 2010

A NEW GP-led dermatology clinic, set to ease hospital waiting lists, has been launched.

Based at the Constable Country Medical Surgery in East Bergholt, the new clinic will give patients access to dermatology treatment and advice without the need to travel to hospital or go on a hospital waiting list.

A NEW GP-led dermatology clinic, set to ease hospital waiting lists, has been launched.

Based at the Constable Country Medical Surgery in East Bergholt, the new clinic will give patients access to dermatology treatment and advice without the need to travel to hospital or go on a hospital waiting list.

The clinics will be run by Dr Jeremy Halfhide, a GP at the surgery who specialises in dermatology and is trained and qualified as a GP with a specialist interest .

He said: "Patients can often wait a long time on hospital waiting lists for their first outpatients dermatology appointment. This new clinic should go some way to reducing those lists and give patients faster access to specialist advice," The clinics will be run once a week on a Tuesday morning from the East Bergholt practice, with a further clinic on a Thursday afternoon starting in August - referrals can be made by all GPs in the Central Suffolk Primary Care Trust area.

Dr Halfhide will see all types of dermatology complaints except those suspected of having cancer. This falls in line with the government initiative that all patients suspected of suffering from cancer should be seen by a consultant specialist within two weeks.

Patients suffering from complex skin complaints will still be referred to an acute hospital to see a specialist.

Dr Ayache, a colleague of Dr Halfhide at the Constable Country Medical Practice, already undertakes specialist Ear Nose and Throat Clinics from the practice.